Fernando Alonso qualified last for his home race at the Barcelona Grand Prix and described the repeated explanations of Aston Martin's struggles as exhausting.
The two-time world champion took 22nd place on the grid, ending a 42-race streak of outqualifying teammate Lance Stroll. Stroll finished 21st, one second behind the next slowest car from Cadillac and four seconds off pole position.
Alonso attributed the team's performance to its weakest car and engine combination on the grid. He detailed recurring issues with downshifts caused by the integration between the in-house gearbox and the Honda power unit, describing some corners as feeling like pulling a handbrake with full rear locking.
The team has chosen to delay development until a larger upgrade package arrives in the summer, forgoing smaller updates. Honda is also preparing an engine upgrade on a similar timeline. Alonso said the team expects to remain last when it reaches Austria in two weeks.
"We knew we have the worst car and the worst engine," Alonso said. "It's exhausting. We're last, we know it, and we have no problem admitting it."
